Beer Trader

When I lived in NJ a few years back, my wife and I stopped in there on our way down to H&H Seafood for “all you can eat” crabs.

They had only been up and running for a short time, so they were still getting some of their beers dialed in. Their hoppy stuff needed tweaking, but their other offerings were ahead of the curve for sure. Glad to hear they’re doing well and making great stuff!

Beer Trader

I've never had Topsail but judging by Beer Advocate and Untappd ratings there are dozens of better beers in NJ alone. In fact, it isn't even on BA's Top Rated Beers: New Jersey list. Obviously this is subjective but meh.

Beer Trader

Cape May Brewery has really been stepping up their quality, and whether this amount of hype is deserved or not, that should be celebrated. I love their beers to be honest, always remind me of summer. Will be picking up Topsail and reviewing it soon, look out for that. And if anyone wants to trade for some I can definitely get you a bottle.

Beer Trader

I've never had Topsail but judging by Beer Advocate and Untappd ratings there are dozens of better beers in NJ alone. In fact, it isn't even on BA's Top Rated Beers: New Jersey list. Obviously this is subjective but meh.

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post this list for discussion's sake. I really have no idea where to find that hahaha.

Beer Trader

I can live with Cape May's Topsail as the best beer, why not? They make some great sour beers! I like those better than their hoppy beers, by the way

I do have to question Heavy Seas (Clipper City Brewing Co.) as the country's best brewery though. Where did they pull that one from? And I don't mean any disrespect to Heavy Seas in that, they make plenty of good beers that I like, but I'm sure that even they'd say there are better contenders for that title.

Premium Member

Heavy Seas is the best brewery in the country? These lists come and go, a bunch of folks get their panties in a bunch over them, then the next list comes out rabble rabble... Most of them have some sense grounding - this one seems a bit out there IMHO. Don't know the brewer or the beer, so whatever a panel decides is what it is. Non-issue.

Beer Trader

I've never had Topsail but judging by Beer Advocate and Untappd ratings there are dozens of better beers in NJ alone. In fact, it isn't even on BA's Top Rated Beers: New Jersey list. Obviously this is subjective but meh.

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Using BA's top beers list to derive/qualify/disqualify a "best" is laughable. I love this community and use it all the time, but we are just about the farthest possible thing from being able to objectively rate styles, lol.

Beer Trader

Heavy Seas is the best brewery in the country? These lists come and go, a bunch of folks get their panties in a bunch over them, then the next list comes out rabble rabble... Most of them have some sense grounding - this one seems a bit out there IMHO. Don't know the brewer or the beer, so whatever a panel decides is what it is. Non-issue.

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Heavy Seas was my favorite brewery when I was getting into craft back when there were almost no other local breweries in my part of MD...but even I did a double-take when I got to that point in the article!

However, I did not try the Stone imperial brown ale collab which they rated the #3 beer overall. So...maybe if I had had that my whole opinion of Heavy Seas would be altered?

Edit: Just checked and I DID have that beer. Gave it a 3.96, so...solid but definitely not my favorite beer of all time.

Beer Trader

Using BA's top beers list to derive/qualify/disqualify a "best" is laughable. I love this community and use it all the time, but we are just about the farthest possible thing from being able to objectively rate styles, lol.

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Yeah literally 6 ratings with zero reviews. Hopeful I add a review to that this weekend.

Using BA's top beers list to derive/qualify/disqualify a "best" is laughable. I love this community and use it all the time, but we are just about the farthest possible thing from being able to objectively rate styles, lol.

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I would say consensus can be useful, though. The beer has a 3.98 on Untappd with 574 ratings and a 4.04 on BA with an admittedly small sample size of 6 ratings. Neither of these metrics are the be all and end all, obviously, but for me personally they cause me to take the magazine's opinion with a grain of salt. As, perhaps, most opinions should be taken...

EDIT: Also, the beer is a Sour which is a popular "hype" style, so I don't think people are underrating it like they'd rate a Kolsch, for example.

Beer Trader

To each their own. I think Kane is the best brewery in NJ. What have you had from Kane?

I would say consensus can be useful, though. The beer has a 3.98 on Untappd with 574 ratings and a 4.04 on BA with an admittedly small sample size of 6 ratings. Neither of these metrics are the be all and end all, obviously, but for me personally they cause me to take the magazine's opinion with a grain of salt. As, perhaps, most opinions should be taken...

EDIT: Also, the beer is a Sour which is a popular "hype" style, so I don't think people are underrating it like they'd rate a Kolsch, for example.

Beer Trader

I spent some time in Cape May/Wildwood about 6 months ago and I thought the beer scene was lacking. It was like taking a time machine to 2009 beer wise. You could find some local stuff from Cape May Brewing and others but none that I had was very good. Hopefully things will be tastier this summer.

Premium Member

I spent some time in Cape May/Wildwood about 6 months ago and I thought the beer scene was lacking. It was like taking a time machine to 2009 beer wise. You could find some local stuff from Cape May Brewing and others but none that I had was very good. Hopefully things will be tastier this summer.

I like Cape May brews and I can get them near me relatively fresh but they don't make anything mind blowing. That said everything is pretty solid and they have a huge presence in resturaunts around me so they are always a good menu option. Best beer in the United States? Not to me. I can think of at least 5 other jersey breweries I'd go to over them. Kane and Carton are still making the best well known beers in New Jersey. Still haven't had Magnify but I've been wanting to. Glasstown and Tonewood are up there but are very small production breweries that most people wouldn't know.

Beer Trader

I spent some time in Cape May/Wildwood about 6 months ago and I thought the beer scene was lacking. It was like taking a time machine to 2009 beer wise. You could find some local stuff from Cape May Brewing and others but none that I had was very good. Hopefully things will be tastier this summer.

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Hidden Sands Brewing is having it's grand opening this weekend, and should be really getting into gear by the summertime. Heard great things about the soft opening, and I'll attach the core beer lineup below. And go to Ludlam Island as well, they make some great beers!

Beer Trader

Make great IPA's and Porters, and I'm sure they easily threaten the quality of South Carolina breweries. Not exactly a "Mecca" down there. Don't judge what you have not tasted, unless it's an anheuser-busch inbev product.

I like Cape May brews and I can get them near me relatively fresh but they don't make anything mind blowing. That said everything is pretty solid and they have a huge presence in resturaunts around me so they are always a good menu option. Best beer in the United States? Not to me. I can think of at least 5 other jersey breweries I'd go to over them. Kane and Carton are still making the best well known beers in New Jersey. Still haven't had Magnify but I've been wanting to. Glasstown and Tonewood are up there but are very small production breweries that most people wouldn't know.

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I have followed Tonewood's beginnings to this present time, and I have always enjoyed their brews! They do keep better and better, at least to my palate.

Of course, I have heard wonderful things about Kane, but I do not go to the shore or surrounding areas much, so getting a bottle has been a challenge. A couple months ago, I did see a Kane Brewing van riding in my town of Collingswood, and I do not know if that meant anything, but it was a surprise to see!

Beer Trader

"Sour Blonde" is kind of a wide-open descriptor. In the sour beer realm, a blonde sour could be just about anything with a light malt bill consisting mostly of (malted or unmalted) wheat and barley. This article doesn't even directly mention that it was barrel aged (in some type of barrels, not specified) or any other details about the beer. :/

A lot of Cantillon's world-class Guezes could be classified as "sour blonde ales" in that they are blonde in color and sour in nature.

Beer Trader

"Sour Blonde" is kind of a wide-open descriptor. In the sour beer realm, a blonde sour could be just about anything with a light malt bill consisting mostly of (malted or unmalted) wheat and barley. This article doesn't even directly mention that it was barrel aged (in some type of barrels, not specified) or any other details about the beer. :/

A lot of Cantillon's world-class Guezes could be classified as "sour blonde ales" in that they are blonde in color and sour in nature.

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To build on this point, Cape May makes tons of sours as well as Belgian influenced beers. One of their most popular offerings is Devil's Reachwhich is classified as a Belgian Strong Pale Ale and it is a fantastic beer. Breweries all have different strenghts, don't knock something because it isn't an ipa.